Robert Sciarrino/The Star-LedgerFormer Rutgers defensive back Joe Lefeged has patiently waited for the end of the lockout so he could chase his dream of playing in the NFL.

Joe Lefeged packed his bags this afternoon. The former Rutgers safety who went undrafted in April’s draft will finally join an NFL roster.

The NFL lockout affected all players, but perhaps no group was more affected than undrafted rookies. In an ordinary season, they sign with a team shortly after the draft and have the benefit of an offseason to learn the team’s playbook and impress the coaching staff. With the NFL’s offseason disrupted, this year’s group had to wait until the lockout was settled.

“I’ve been waiting for the whole summer for this to happen,” Lefeged said. “After the draft, I was upset. Took me a couple days to get myself together. But at the end of the day, it’s not where you started but where you finished. And I’ll get an opportunity to play football just like a first-round pick.”

Lefeged can sign with a team beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday, and according to a tweet from his Twitter account tonight, he’ll join the Indianapolis Colts. Rookies are the only players able to sign contracts before Friday.

“It was a blessing in disguise,” Lefeged said, crediting the veterans with off-the-field lessons and rigorous training.

Lefeged takes solace knowing he’ll enter camp at the same time as other rookies, so he’ll have the same opportunities they will have and will know the playbook, teammates and coaches just as well as a player who was drafted.

“I didn’t want to waste any of my energy thinking about it or wasting my time on it,” Lefeged said. “I tried to be more productive. Working out, keeping my body healthy, thinking what I want to eat, doing things like that to get my mind off of it. And each day, just try to get a little better.”